Wow! What a great powerboat!

Thanks Black Tornado, I just saw the connection with Viareggio and put 2 + 2 together. Flying Fish, I am the guy you refer to navigating Bonuty Hunter, here's the link for my old mans story. http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/m...do-1968-a.html

Balestrieri is of Rome even though he lives in Montecarlo.
Viareggio was at home,however, and his motoryacht Cohete was often in the docks.
What you have to do with the old "Tornado"?

Thats for sure.

My father bought one of his boats - the one that sank in teh '68 CTC, then rebuilt it and raced it. Follow this link http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/m...do-1968-a.html and there are soem photos.

So you're the son of Ian Toll or who?.
I knew the thread that talks about the restoration but I did not associate yourself with it.
The episode of the "Tornado",or "White Tornado" (not to be confused with the "White Tornado" Bertram 32') as Balestrieri he called it confidentially, is legendary.
Balestrieri it seems he was very emotional attachment to that 28' maybe because it was his first boat (and the first engines) really competitive had in his hands after many years of racing.
The loss of the boat was not something that the Roman easily digested.
Even if the true owner appears to have been his mechanic Don Pruett (perhaps purely for tax reasons to avoid) and it was the Texan to sell the 'wreck' for a few pounds.
See it in the docks of Cowes the next year for Balestrieri must have been a strange feeling.
Your father,discovered why it sank.

Hi, just trying to PM you for some questions, but your box is full....How can i get in touch with you ?
:party-smiley-004:

Yes, that’s right, I'm Ian's son, Christian. Ian has a whole portfolio of the salvage and rebuild - rally interesting stuff. He also has the original bill of sale from Don Pruit. Ian is a Magnum man and is currently rebuilding a 27 but that won’t be in the water until next year. WRT the sinking - the ballast tank in the bow split as it the boat was going across Lyme Bay. Are you going to Cowes this year, I’ll be there racing Bounty Hunter with the owner of the boat……………….

I will not be there unfortunately.
But I might meet fingers for you and the Dry 35'.;)

Bounty Hunter Pics from this years Cowes-Torquay-Cowes Race.
http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/d...werboat605.jpg

http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/d...werboat606.jpg

http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/d...werboat618.jpg

Not to hijack your update Tim! Here are a few more from the wet pits/milling area.

Tell us more about the 27 Sport. What year? any pictures?
Are you located in Surrey?

Jeff

No I am from Poole in Dorset. The Magnum Is dated 12 September 1971 and is currently undergoing a total re-fit.
New Algrip paint, upstroked 383ci motors, new Mayfair steering new screen, new trim etc. I am building a full set of photos to put on the site soon. With regards to the "Bounty Hunter" pictures, my son was the navigator, and our Magnum is older than he is. The boat that " Bounty Hunter" is tied up to in the dock "War Horse" is my brothers Apache 41 also here in Poole on the UK South Coast.
ATB
Kalaazar

Thanks for the pics.

How many 27's do you know of in the UK?

Jeff

Only the one I am aware of being a 27 Sport, Plus "Snoopy" a 27 Sedan which we used to own and race back in the`80`s.

Kalaazar

Do you remember a 27 called "Live Bullet"?
For some reason I think it made it to England.

Jeff

Jeff, this one...:drink:

No I have never heard of or seen that one, but I do believe that there may be one or two in Germany.

Ian

Looking at the boat cracked me up... Live Bullit ties in with the M (MAGNUM) 357 caliber !!! "HIGH LIFE"

[email protected] Sorry Haven't Been on in a while.


Jr.

Which one of the Bounty Hunter Cigarette's had side exit exhaust? Is it the yellow one?

The 40' Cig.

Just came across these old shots from when I was a kid. From 1974 Strohs Grand National at Cedar Point Ohio on Lake Erie. My parents docked their cruiser there and I had wood the whole time those guys were there ;) Would have been 15 yrs old at time. Met one of my hero's there. Bob Nordskog.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...l1974_0002.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...l1974_0001.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...onal1974-1.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...l1974_0003.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...l1974_0004.jpg

Wow those pics are seriously GOOD! Thanks for posting! I will use photoshop to improve the quality and re-post if that's OK! If you have more I'm sure we'd all like to see them.

Feel free.
 

I would have if I could figure it out.
They raced there twice when I was around and their pits was our parking lot. Pretty cool stuff for a youngster ate up with boats.
I remember when they announced the first race was coming an old time fisherman that docked next to us was educating me on what to expect. He heard the racers and magazines all talking about setting records based on racing on a little lake compared to the giant oceans they were used to ;) He knew they were in for a surprise.
I remember broken drives and sinking boats.
After the fact, Power Boat mag called it "The Race on the Stormy Mud Puddle" :eek:

great shots!

another pic of the 40' Bounty Hunter I just located.....

Looking at the colour schemes of those two - Bounty Hunter and Slap Shot - was there any kind of tie up betweeen those two teams?

Twins, those are SWEET pics!!!

Do you know what happened to the Volvos that were on it?

Jeff

I'm thinking "Slap Shot" was "Snapper Norris" for whatever reason.
Thinking/remembering that boat was named based of owners hockey
affiliation.
I look at today's boats and try to become a fan and then run across these pix's....., I owe to these drivers from the day to stick to my ways. Sorrys guys. This was the ****.

I was told by John Eberhardt that when he sold them they were fitted to an Aluminium 25` Don Shead boat.

Ian

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...64/1/index.htm

Great story about this race. These guys were characters. They built the sport on guts and blood.

That is......
 

BADD ASS! A 187 mile race :eek: Way cool story.
And no doubt to the men of the day.
Thank you sir!

Billy Martin is a class act .
I met him in Point Pleasant in 1989 when he throttled a 41 Apache , Lethal Weapon . During the race I was sandbagging , saving the gear . The Apache driver crossed our bow twice and waked us pretty good , their rooster tail almost blew me out of the boat . I mean once is an accident but twice ? C'mon .
At the awards ceremony Billy came over , introduced himself ( not that he needed an introduction , he was the buzz of the weekend and apparently pulled out of retirement just to clean my clock ) and said " Sorry about my driver . I told that SOB if he ever does anything like that again I'll pull the kill switches . "
He had my admiration and on that day also earned my respect .
Mr. Martin I wish you well .

i agree 100% old school all the way

Ian,

Are you around home this weekend? Would love to nip 'round and have a look at your 27 and the 28.

I'm up in Milton Keynes 'til next week.

Jeff

Hi Jeff, I will be working on the 27 again this Saturday, the 28, is long gone.
However my brother should also be around with his 41 Apache. So come on down I would be pleased to show you the boats.
Either PM me or call 07836 763443 to set a time and location.
Ian

that was lester, he did a lot of stupid stuff. I remember sitting in a 2006 OPA race, And Billy Jr and I start talking. Then Sr comes over and remembers Ed Toth from Pred 41 apache and asks me to ask eddie to tell us all the story of the flare gun...well i convince Mr Martin Sr to share right then and there at the 06 drivers meeting with my family and Ed toth Jr. Back in the day when the 41s where all racing hard they had their fuel trucked in. All teams has pre orderd a certain amount. Well Island runner got theirs, Star chaser, fire water, warrior, then here comes lester in leathal Weapon and Tops off. Martin at that time was running the throttles for LEster. He told him to only get a certain amount. Well Lester did what lester always does and he Tops off all his tanks. Now here comes Ed in Predator. He goes to get his ordered amount and he comes up a bit short. Ed is steaming and the fuel man tells him its Lesters fault cause he got more then his share. Eds motors are high high compression injected jobs and he cant just stick 93 in to make up for it. Now all the boats are in the wet pits running getting ready to go mill. Ed walks down the dock and over to lester. Ed knowing the true sportsmen Martin is says the folling to MArtin in front of Lester. " Billy, If I run out of fuel cause Lester is a **** head, and you just happen to go by us, you duck cause i am going to shoot Lester in the head with the FLARE GUN"

and at that Billy grinned then laughed. THere are not many people out there like the Martins. We need more class like them in our sport.

Be safe, and keep the flare gun oiled and loaded